Our Journey To The Chinese Leper Colony

Upon hearing the word “leper”, one would typically think of biblical times and the healings of Jesus, or maybe even the movie Ben-Hur. That’s what we thought—until last month—when we were invited to visit a leper colony in the mountains of southwest China.

As we prepared for the drive to the mountains, the local contact shared with our team how these lepers live alone in the mountains. The government has built enclosed villages for them to live in, but they rarely, if ever, have visitors.

Our China Missions team loaded a horse with rice and cooking oil for the leper colony and hiked up the mountain on a long dirt trail.

Upon arriving we hugged them, prayed, worshiped, and loved on them until it was time to leave. The people in the colonies we visited had been treated and had varying degrees of physical deformities. But what was most noticeable was their excitement and friendliness towards us.

Some of them were believers through the work of the local contact. We encouraged those who were, and witnessed to those who weren’t. In China, ministry is accomplished through small, baby steps. We believe a new door of ministry has opened up in this region and by prayer and patience we’ll be walking it out.

Things are rapidly changing across China. Christian ministry has become increasingly difficult. So it is all the more important that you, our faith support team, have enabled us to press forward with strength.

Our vision is to be a missions base in Hong Kong (with complete religious freedom) that strategically reaches into China to help reach the over 200 million people who’ve never heard the name of Jesus even once. On nearly every missions trip we’ve lead into China, Hong Kong church members have joined. These future missionaries are getting a heart to reach their own people in a climate where it is becoming increasingly difficult for foreigners to do the work.

This visit to the leper colony is just one example of that working. You are touching the ‘untouchable’ with the love of Jesus. Thank you.